A known method of playing back images and sound information associated with the images is disclosed by way of example in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-177928 (Patent Reference 1). According to the method disclosed, if sound information has been assigned to any area within a single still image, the sound information is played back by selecting the assigned area of the sound information being displayed together with the still image. Other known methods of playing back images and sound information associated with the images are to assign the sound information to a single still image [e.g., the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 01-012778 (Patent Reference 2) and the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 06-251079 (Patent Reference 3)], and present an indication of whether or not sound information exists by way of superimposition in a state in which a plurality of still images are displayed in list form (e.g., see Patent Reference 2) or present an indication of whether or not sound information exists by drawing a rectangular area around a still image for which sound information exists in a state in which a plurality of still images are displayed in list form (e.g., see Patent Reference 3).
With the method of Patent Reference 1, however, multiple items of desired sound information are not produced in a case where these multiple items of sound information have been recorded for a single still image.
Further, with the methods of Patent. References 2 and 3, even still images for which sound information does not exist are displayed in the form of a list. Such an arrangement is not suitable for viewing on the small display devices with which digital cameras and the like are equipped.